NAIROBI Kenya, Jun 1 — President William Ruto has commissioned 18,000 agripreneurs tasked to mobilise farmers to support the government’s food security ambition.
Speaking during Madaraka Day Celebrations in Bungoma on Saturday, Ruto said the team will work with farmers every step of the way to optimize production across the country.
He said the government will equip them with the necessary digital tools to effectively perform their roles.
“To all these great people to Agri-Preneurs who will take the front line immobilizing our farmers into Agri-Preneurs making sure that farming puts money in the pocket of our farmers and resources in the economy of our economy as they supply us with food security,” Ruto said.
The agripreneurs will serve in all 47 counties in the country.
They comprise three categories; general practitioners, animal health and genetics, and fodder Agripreneurs.
The mandate of the 18,000-strong team includes assisting farmers in accessing financial services, supporting loan applications, and connecting farmers with providers of farm and mechanization services.
They will also act as a link between farmers and the market.
The team will provide financial literacy, climate-smart advisory services, mechanization, and access to farm inputs and credit services.
They will also be key players at the aggregation centers where they will provide mentorship and facilitate value addition.
The initiative dubbed Kilimo Nyumbani is part of Kenya Kwanza’s agenda under agriculture reforms in the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
